Ed Danko, a Palm Coast City Council member for less than a year, was admonished and cautioned about being removed from the dais after repeated angry outbursts interrupting a public speaker at the beginning Tuesday’s council meeting.
It was the latest public display of anger and churlish behavior from Danko, who in his 11 months on the council, going back to his very first meeting, has managed to insult, demean, ridicule, misrepresent or disparage every member of the council, the new and former mayor, the interim and former city manager, and City Attorney Bill Reischmann. At one point Mayor David Alfin told Danko that he’d have to leave the dais if he persisted in breaking the meeting’s rules, and Reischmann issued the caution more explicitly.
Never in the 21-year history of the Palm Coast City Council had a council member come close to eliciting so much as the suggestion of being asked to leave the dais.
The trigger behind Danko’s outburst was a public comment by Scott W. Spradley, the long-time Flagler Beach lawyer and current chairman of the the city-appointed committee analyzing the future direction of July 4 events in Flagler Beach. The committee is tasked specifically to recommend the best outcomes for businesses and city residents. Respect for business–and contempt for business from a council member–had brought Spradley to the council: Danko had personally endorsed a boycott of Spradley’s firm, along with other advertisers on this site.
“I have my business and Flagler Beach, which is a law firm. I’ve been there for 15 years,” Spradley began before the council. “My law firm provides representation to individuals and small businesses throughout the area. The last two years have been really a struggle for a lot of individuals and small businesses for all the reasons we know. So I added to my plate, and helped 54 businesses obtain PPP loans–paycheck protection program loans. A lot of restaurants or law firms other businesses, real estate companies, all of which kept them going, and we are happy to do that. This is what we do. Over the last two years I have have four employees, all women, all moms, all who live in Palm Coast. You represent them all, including Mr. Danko. Two weeks ago today–”
Danko interrupted. He raised a “point of order,” asking the mayor, his voice shaking, if “the Flagler Trump Club and its agenda” were on “our city council’s agenda.”
Spradley had not mentioned the club. Nor was he about to, though if he had, he’d have had as much a right to mention it as he had a right to mention, say, the Adlai Stevenson Club of Ottumwa, or the city’s own bridge club. It was the public participation segment of the meeting where members of the public may address the council on any matter they choose for three minutes–the way council members themselves get to speak, without limit, on any subject of their choosing at the end of every meeting. But Danko was intending to prevent Spradley from speaking.
Spradley resumed. He managed to speak a dozen words: “Two weeks ago today, Mr. Danko made a–began a social media–”
Danko interrupted, again claiming a “point of order,” though it was not a point of order. Danko had interrupted to contest a statement Spradley had not even made. The executive director of the county’s domestic violence shelter, sitting immediately behind Spradley, hung her head in her palm. Alfin, finger again raised, again admonished Danko to let Spradley finish his comment. “Respect the public first,” the mayor told Danko.
Spradley, from whom Danko’s interruptions had stolen eight seconds by now (the time-keeper stopped the clock during Danko’s disruptions, but not so precisely as to not lose seconds each time), continued: “Two weeks ago today, Mr. Danko posted on his Facebook page–he alone–and shared it to 91 other individuals–I have it, if anyone wants to read it–his position that he was asking for his followers to boycott 21 local businesses, and the sole reason for his request to boycott these businesses, including my law firm, is that we do, or we have advertised on his archenemy FlaglerLive. That’s it. That’s the reason why. And I know that’s the only reason why because he later put a follow up post, which said any of you who advertise, if you’ll take it down, I’ll support you. So that was the only reason. My concern is that we support business. A lot of businesses here support business. This particular individual, out of one corner of his mouth, says he supports business–”
Danko interrupted for the fourth time, robbing Spradley of another four seconds and now shouting as he again mis-charaterized the public comment by deflecting from Spradley’s point about Danko’s role to the Trump Club not being on the agenda. He then directly insulted Spradley: “This man is just making this stuff up trying to pin it on on me,” he said, though none of Spradley’s statements were inaccurate. “I’ve had enough of this garbage from this guy.”
“Then leave the dais,” the mayor told him, again repeating that Spradley had the right to speak.
“He doesn’t have a right to come in here and present false facts,” Danko shouted.
“That’s enough!” Alfin shot back, gaveling three times.
Danko may have a short memory. At the end of a council meeting just three months ago, Danko–who was running the election campaign of mayoral hopeful Alan Lowe–made scurrilous claims about ex-Mayor Milissa Holland, saying she had resigned because she faced criminal charges. In a video capturing his campaigning door to door, he claimed Gov. DeSantis had met with Holland and threatened her either to resign or face charges, and Danko ridiculed Holland’s daughter’s illness–all lies. The governor’s office itself refuted Danko’s falsehoods. He has yet to explain them. They have not been his only lies, though they were the most defaming. It was at that council meeting that he insulted the work of the interim city manager and the city attorney, both of whom were on the dais.
“I’ve said nothing about any clubs,” Spradley said when he resumed after the latest outburst.
Danko interrupted for the fifth time, now threatening Spradley (“you’re in dangerous territory as a lawyer and you should know it”) as Alfin gaveled, and gaveled, and gaveled.
Reischmann, the city attorney, intervened, as he has on so many occasions in the past year. There was no question who Reischmann was addressing: “All members of this council are not to speak over other members of this council, all members of this council are not to interrupt,” Reischmann said, schooling the members on proper behavior and warning of consequences: “The mayor has the power to remove individuals, including council members, from this gathering, from this room, if the order is not followed, and his orders are not followed.” Reischmann then gave a legal opinion: Spradley’s public comments had to continue. “This is, for better or for worse, democracy, and this is what the business of the City Council is–to listen to these matters and then address them appropriately.”
“So you have a few seconds left,” Alfin told Spradley, who’d lost 14 seconds of his three minutes by then.
“My concern is the viewpoint that’s being expressed through this council to other businesses,” Spradley concluded. “This council has sought not only to satisfy his constituents of which my employees are for, but also wants to bring in business. The message that I’m hearing to businesses is: come to Palm Coast. We like business–unless you advertise with the wrong guy, then we’re going to do everything we can to undermine you and to take away your employees’ wages. I usually come up with solutions when I bring up a problem. I don’t know the problem. That’s in your hands. But it’s a problem. Please fix it.”
Danko did not interrupt a sixth time but Alfin gave him a chance to have the last word. He used it to call Spradley “a liberal” (Spradley is a conservative and a registered Republican), speak of the Trump Club’s membership and make yet more false claims: “We’ve already had four sponsors drop off of FlaglerLive because of their agenda,” Danko said. In fact, Danko is counting one advertiser who had received free advertising when FlaglerLive extended free ads to struggling businesses during covid. That term ended. He’s counting another who had a three-month contract that ended before the boycott, and a third who had decided in July, according to the company owner, not to renew due to covid and financial retrenchment. There is no forth. The site has gained advertisers since the alleged boycott.
“Quite frankly, Mr. Mayor, I’m appalled that you allowed it,” Danko said of Spradley’s two minutes and 46 seconds.
“Elected officials should be supporting local business, not attempting to turn the community against itself,” Eric Cooley, who chairs the Flagler Beach City Commission, wrote on his Facebook page today. “Elected officials should be working to make the community better, not drag partisan problems into non-partisan business. Elected officials should be supporting the right to free speech and free enterprise, not attempting to dictate personal mandates on how local business functions. Lastly, a elected official should NEVER purposely damage the community they are tasked with representing! As you can see, this particular official does not comply on ANY of these counts. There is also a county commissioner who supports this [behavior]. Kudos to Scott for addressing this wrong doing head on and calling it out.”
As for the Trump Club, it had reposted on its Facebook page–the very page where it called for a boycott–an article published on FlaglerLive as recently as Sunday.
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Robert says
Geez Dick Danko. Men’s gut as well my ve to another state again, bringing Alan Lowe and your roommate and start again
Edith Campins says
What a disgrace to our community. This is what you get when you ignore the warning signs and the history and background of a candidate and vote for them only because they belong to your party. Danko is rude, obnoxious and a bad liar. Let’s make sure he gets voted out. Don’t envy Alfin for having to deal with this petty, little man.
Sunny12 says
Amen! Wish I had a business to advertise on FlaglerLive! Danko vlearly has his OWN agenda.
EVA says
How can there not be sufficient grounds for the removal of Danko from his position?? We really need to review our terms and codes of conduct for public officials and get some traction on the penalties for such horrendous behavior. He gives a bad name to the term public servant. I cannot wait for the huge turnout to vote him and a few other radicals out so we can restore this community to adults of ALL parties who know how to disagree respectfully. Sad to think what we are teaching the children watching all this.
Sunny12 says
Exactly. Good thing these meeting are on YouTube so they can be played again and again and for generations to come! Ridiculous behavior for a grown adult in a public office. How can he NOT be removed?!
Sean says
I don’t like to comment on any platform but I feel really embarrassed as a former employee of the city and resident the behavior of the council member.
Wallingford says
Maybe it is time to remove Mr. Danko not only from the dais, but also from Office. When he is up for re-election, the voting public should remember these continuous childish outbursts and vote for his opponent. We defeated Trump; Danko is next
Captain says
How many chances do you give this Moron!!!!
flatsflyer says
How long it will be before Danko gets his rearend kicked by someone who he constantly offends. He is a small weak man, with a big mouth. Would not be surprised if the “kicker” turns out to be member of the fairer sex from our community. KARMA!
Mark Woods says
Ed Stanko is proving to be exactly what he showed us he would be.
palmcoaster says
Outrageous disregard and abuse of public office investiture by Mr. Danko. Attacking and promoting the witch hunt of local businesses or their employees, because their choice of advertiser while trying to silence a citizen and a law professional in his three minutes of address to city council? City attorney was correct we live in a Democracy not in a Fascist State yet. Anyone that does not agree with these nut cases in the Trump Club is called a liberal and as Attorney Spradley a registered Republican so am I we do not agree either with the way they display their partisanship by this type of intimidating bully behavior. The lack of community good manners that even condones and cheers extremist to display the word F in their flagpole in the very center of our Palm Coast community, exactly Farragut Drive, as they already done in FB. Just lets all remember that this club with 572 members were Danko is the Vice wants to get control of our city and county of at least 90,000 residents.
I never endured before in Palm Coast such a virulent and profane environment within our city or local government and sure that is not what ITT the founder of Palm Coast envisioned or would have allowed as well.
I still believe that Mayor Alfin, thou trying hard, still needs to boot from the meeting anyone obviously out of order. Whether from the days or the room.
I also wish that the city goes back to the days when the Mayor replied to the citizens concerns himself or thru the departmental heads on the meetings. Otherwise is no reason for residents to attend these long council meetings Mr. McDonald is correct.
jake says
” Otherwise is no reason for residents to attend these long council meetings Mr. McDonald is correct.”
Nonsense, all government should be open to the public. We have Sunshine Laws for a reason.
Just saying says
I sure hope that our city attorney speaks better than what I have seen on this post. The amount of times he said uhmmmm is ridiculous. I realize that he may not be a public speaker but he needs to present himself better. In my opinion he was caught off guard and fumbled on his response to the situation in which he was
Tired says
I completely agree that Spradley should have been permitted to speak uninterrupted. I also agree that we shouldn’t be doing anything to deter commerce in our community, nor blacklisting businesses that advertise with a media we don’t agree with. However, isn’t this the same thing that recently happened in Flagler Beach in regards to the Family Life Center? Their Director was on the same radio show as an elected official that some people don’t like. HE spoke words that offended people so the organization has lost their funding from Flagler Beach. Even though the Family Life Center is a non-profit entity, they still employ people and provide invaluable resources to our community. Both situations were WRONG, not just one of these, BOTH. Stop following parties and trust your gut based on your values and morals. Otherwise, regardless of whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, y’all are following the pied piper to the river to drown!
Knows Jack says
LOL…lost funding from Flagler Beach- $40.00 a year! There was NO funding for Family Life from the City of Flagler Beach.
Guido says
The pied piper is Facebook!!! Breaking up communities around the world
Steve says
I am thankful I no longer live in Palm Coast where I would be represented by such a cry baby. Danko is a six year old in a grown man’s body, and like his hero (the guy who lost the last election) his idea of adult conversation is to speak louder than everybody else and cry that he is the victim. The mayor and other council members are probably embarrassed to share the dais with him.
NPA Voter says
Enough already. Has no one any civilized decorum any more in the political arena (or while grocery shopping, for that matter!)?
The two-party system is broken, and the chasm it has created between good people (left AND right) is nearing a point of being irreparable. This has to stop. Act like adults, carefully think before you open your mouth, and speak with truth and respect.
MOST of you should be ashamed of your so-called public service.
The Truth says
PLEASE GET RID OF HIM. PC TAXPAYERS NEVER LIKED HIM AND HE IS A DISGRACE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
jake says
Actually “PC TAXPOAYERS” elected him.
The dude says
So the little lawn troll Danko is now into cancelling?
It’s just sad that this pathetic little red faced man with anger issues and the spongy, spray tanned orange crybaby down at mar a Lago are considered “Alphas”. I’d be embarrassed to admit this if I were a Con.
RitaMae says
My comment is directed to Mayor Alfin…why are you putting up with this horrible lettle man with the Napoleon attitude? His behavior at the meeting is only a piece of what you and any attendee(s) at your public meetings will see. He is a narcissistic evil person. How dare he turn the situation around and blame you for allowing the gentleman to speak! But, this is his MO, he is never to blame and makes it your fault. He is NO Republican. You should have asked the deputy to escort him out of the building. Mr. Mayor, you and the rest of City Council, (except possibly Mr. Barbosa) are good people and have the best interest of Palm Coast and its citizens. This person does NOT. I applaud that gentleman who spoke out against him and his personal facebook post.
Why would any Republican organization boycott our local businesses, especially right after they have gone thru a pandemic which almost destroyed them, because of their advertisements in Flagler Live? Have they not heard of ‘Freedom of Speach.’ Please do not put up with his outbursts any longer. We, the citizens of Palm Coast (who he is supposed to support) are sick and tired of him.
Been There says
LOL! Did you thank the Trump Club for the free promotion of FlaglerLive.com on their Facebook page?
Skibum says
Danko… a dour, dingy, disengenouos, deceitful, disgrace to our city government!
IMYellowstone says
Does Flagler County have a Mental Health facility . . . ? Perhaps they should hold a permanent sit on the dais.
Bill C says
Ed Danko for mayor! Of Munchkinland.
David Schaefer says
Ed Stanko you got to go. You are another Trump wantabe and nothing but a troublemaker who thinks you can get away from everything. You are another poor excuse for a human being..
Bill Sch says
Danko is not a Public servant. He is a public disgrace/nuisance. Nothing more needs to be said.
tulip says
There are so many new people who have moved here that don’t have any idea what is going on with Danko and others and if they are Rep will vote that way “just because”. There are also many Reps in Palm Coast that could care less about Danko’s rants and will vote for him just because he is a Rep. That is scary. If Mayor Alfin doesn’t start stomping on Danko and shutting him down, that would tell me he is afraid of Danko and, again, the little BULLY wins and becomes even more emboldened.
Wow says
The saddest part is that he was elected. That enough people saw him as a competent individual that he was given a position of power. That’s scary.
mark101 says
So very true, too many people
The voting numbers on Danko, last election. I wonder how many of these people would like to go back and change their vote knowing now what an embarrassment Danko really is. Maybe the next election people will be wiser.
Palm Coast City Council, District 1
Ed Danko 28,157
Sims E. Jones 18,592
Fluffy says
This Danko has been drinking wayyy too much of the Trump Cool-aid!! Trump lost, he’s a habitual liar, a con man, a fraud. Keep sending this con man your money Danko and friends. Let’s hope that one day these people will open their eyes and develop a brain that actually functions. It’s unfortunate that they have positions of power, hurting our community.
Been There says
Its the same stunt that Mullins pulled. Tell me why the citizens of Flagler County keep voting for people who are serving none but themselves. How does a local elected official get away with proactively undermining and seeking to destroy the businesses that sustain their constituents? They don’t care who they hurt. They don’t care who suffers as long as they themselves are being served.
Scott worked to help business get PPP money while council members and commissioners were taking free grants from the CARES Act even though their businesses got their money from premiums already paid and/or their businesses weren’t even Florida registered businesses.
These filthy players need to be eliminated.
bob says
a #2 of a group of 572 is not something to brag about. and if they are danko’s number, can it be believed. how many little dinky towns in florida or the USA have a population of 572 or less? i wonder if the little man knows why Roberts Rules of Order exists ?
palmcoaster says
Attacking businesses from his councilman seat isn’t that a violation under abuse of power? Also trying to silence a citizen also a legal professional of his due right of 3 minutes speech? Something very wrong with this picture councilman Danko you hanging with the wrong crowd.
Concerned Citizen says
How about a litle less gavel banging and a lot more action?
Everytime our illustrious leaders get together they get into a pissing contest. And all on our dime. Anywhere else in the work force you get fired for creating a hostile work wnvironment and not doing your job.
Somewhere along the line we have decided this is acceptable behavior from our elected officials. Time for a change and some fresh air. Let’s elect people that want to get along. And represent the will of their constiuents.
nevergop says
Seems to be the trumpanzees causng the most havoc. Well, after all, the official GOP bird is highly visible in Flagler County – the vulture. Pretty much ever since trump took office and spread his lying rabies.
Ron says
Danko should resign. You can not have it both ways. You either represent all your constituents or you represent your Trump Club.
Pissed in PC says
Damn shame that Alfin didn’t stuff the gavel in Stankos pie hole. Alfin you better remove him before he causes this city even more embarrassment.
Trailer Bob says
As a conservative republican, I am truly embarrassed by the behavior of and mindset of some of our elected republican officials. Hate, ignorance, and self centered mindsets must be removed from our community. I know that the vast majority of us are sane. We will only get rid of these low IQ idiots (redundant) when decent people start running for office.
I knew says
Danko was running for office in Dare County NC in Feb 2018, when the Dare County Republican Party took action against him. Oddly enough, 2 months later he bought a home here.
Mary Fusco says
What the heck is the attraction that Flagler County has to reject politicians from other states (and we have several of these rejects) and then we continue to vote them in? House needs to be cleaned in Flagler County. Get rid of the dead wood and the rejects and start over or this will never end. Sad and embarrassing.
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Its expected that you should listen to the people you represent and as their delegate vote accordingly.
If Gentleness and self control are traits that are important to you, remember next election.
Steve says
Gee – Stanko was invited to leave the GOP party organization in North Carolina for making threats against a local business owner. The leopard hasn’t changed his spots.
https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2018/02/24/board-candidate-ed-danko-dare-county-gop-part-ways/